Protected Area Permit (PAP) for Bylakuppe ?

Hello,
I'll arrive to Bangalore at the 4.10.2011.Then i'll continue to Mysore and after that to Bylakuppe .
Where/how do i get the PAP ?
Can i do it in the 10 days i'll be in India before? do i have to do it before going to India?
How much it cost by taxi/bus/trin to Bylakuppe from Mysore?
Thank you very much
Natalia

What is PAP?

To answer Julia, the Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe requires a permit in addition to the visa for any tourists wishing to stay overnight. I looked into visiting in 2009 but didn't end up going.

Most of the sources I find with Google say that it takes a few months and a letter of invitation from the Tibetan exile government to get the permit. Some say you're allowed to visit in the daytime (but not overnight) without the PAP, others say that all tourists need one to enter Bylakuppe. It sounds like a complicated process, which is too bad because I've seen some amazing photos of it (http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asi...aka/Bylakuppe/)

Thanks thirdreel.

I'll add the word 'permit' to the thread title.

This is the monastery where I stayed, I think (briefly, in the early 1990's; there was no need for permits then, that I'm aware of), they explain the technicalities: http://www.palyul.org/eng_centers_namdrol.htm. (Go to >Visiting Namdroling and then >More, namely to here: http://www.palyul.org/eng_resources_visit.htm.)

I drove just past Bylakuppe again two years ago; and my strong impression was (or I may have asked around about it) that just visiting by day should be no problem, no. However staying overnight or for longer, you'd probably want to get that permit in order. And it does seem a little complicated.

(That site sort of seems to confirm this, and they caution the police do check for violators in the area. But they seem to imply day visits should be OK. Remains to be seen how up-to-date that is, of course; and I'm sure those cops might sniff you out if you plan on persisting on those day trips forever. Probably a risky game to play, and the local Tibetans might rather have you didn't.)

Bylakuppe's not far from Mysore (Madikeri which is a little further away is around two hours by bus I think), I can't tell you the cost of a ride, but it won't be much. Taxi of course will be more, and going one-way, you'll be paying for the return fare; should still not be very much (but obviously rather more pricy than a bus, which will really be peanuts. I don't think any deluxe buses ply this route, either.)

There are no trains along this stretch; most convenient by train to the east is Mysore I guess, to the west, Mangalore. Madikeri, which is itself again close to Bylakuppe and that general area, lies sort of inbetween both. (Though you'd be going uphill from Mangalore, could take a little longer.)

PAP btw stands for Protected Area Permit.

Note the placename is pronounced something like Belly-koppa (or Belly-kuppa? Belly-koppee, or kuppee? Something like that. I think it may well be Belly-koppee, actually), if you're asking around for it. Though on that last nearby visit, I was under the impression more people by now would catch something like Beela-kuppee, or refer to it as such themselves.

Namdroling btw on that site advises to get off at Kushalnagar for them instead, which is something of a larger (Indian?) settlement in the area I think, I've not been there (or maybe I did, if this is where I stayed, without being aware of it. I certainly noticed nothing like a "town," but then I was indeed staying just on the monastery premises, though drove and walked around a little. The area had scarcely any infrastructure then, and certainly not tourist infrastructure, and I just kind of hopped off an autorickshaw and made some enquiries; driving past there more recently, it certainly all looked quite a bit more developed. Anyways the entire area, if small in itself, roughly consists or various Tibetan settlements loosely strung together, I believe. With no doubt some Indian villages inbetween, or otherwise neighboring it, and then a few towns about in the wider area.)

I don't know what other plans you have, but Coorg (also known as Kodagu), the wider region that this area lies in (and so itself situated in South-West Karnataka), is very nice to explore some more, so you could do just that. It's very hilly and jungley, and said to contain one of the last vestiges of Indian original rainforest; together with some of North-East India, I believe. It's really beautiful. (The Bylakuppe area itself is more agricultural, and with gently rolling hills instead. Nice in itself, and there are forests nearby and stuff.) Madikeri makes a good base to do so, or there are more rustic places in the area to do so from, or just simply to visit and stay.

Lonely Planet for instance has a few pages on the area; or the good Indian guidebook series by Outlook Traveller covers the region in their Weekend Breaks From Bangalore title, http://traveller.outlookindia.com/bookhome.aspx. These are readily available in India, and inexpensive; though you might want to look for it before setting off to this region (but I'm sure you could find it in Madikeri, or certainly Mysore or Mangalore).

Thank you all for your answers.
I enter to the link and read that i have to send copy of my pasport with the visa for India.
The problem is that i'll get the visa only in September and don't have yet the Visa to show them on my pasport.
Beside that,If i'm already on my travel-can i pick the Pap over there without sending it to Israel?

Sorry, can help you no further than what that site has to say.

They give a phone number there I think where they advise to contact them, so, I'd just give them a ring to ask about it. Be prepared for possibly some mutual accent difficulties.

Might be a good idea anyway, as said, that site may well not be entirely up-to-date.

ps

To expound some more on the subject: I guess the government is just trying to protect their vulnerable way of life, and to protect them from a massive tourist onslaught (and do kindly note these people are not a tourist attraction, they're just mostly going about their ways, working the fields and studying and attending to their religion, etc. Though very welcoming and happy to meet visitors and glad for your interest, and open to fellow students btw, but kindly don't be an intruder. And back then, so earlier 90's, there was scarcely any English spoken here; and accommodation as well as food on the monastery premises was Really Really basic, as indeed they still mention on their site.) Besides, such settlements, all over the country, tend to cause frictions with locals, who'll go like why do these people get certain advantages, and not us. I know it is so here, or at least was so back then; these Tibetans were quite aware they weren't welcome with all, and they're still very much refugees, though I guess the younger generations may be dreaming of the homeland less than many of the elder still do. So anyway hence again the need (perceived or otherwise, and enforced to a greater or lesser extent) for some protective measures, I guess.

I do know that apparently some other Tibetan settlements elsewhere (technically, at least) require the same permit to visit, as well. As it, or similar permits, will be required to visit certain tribal areas, etc.

Note if you intend to pursue some studies here, you'd just have to look up your own or an affiliated lineage, of course. There are several monasteries in the area, Namdroling's just one of them, and of the Palyul tradition apparently, I know very little about all the details of Tibetan Buddhism. (Itself apparently of the Nyingmapa school of thought. I learned only years later, maybe because ThirdReel told me?, that apparently they are in fact the heirs of one of Tibet's most famous of monasteries, maybe Sera? I forget. Looking it up: No, can't be, that's Gelukpa.) So was very much an outsider there myself; different times, indeed. I have in hindsight often wondered if I'd done right by my visit, and if such impromptu tourist visits by goofy outsiders may not have contributed to these later permit requirements; though very welcoming and hospitable they indeed were. And only as I decided to discreetly leave them to their ways after a few days, did it become clear to me that in fact I'd have been welcome to stay forever.

The entrances to the Bylakuppe settlements are manned by the same sharp and energetic guards that patrol much of the Indian heartland. If you're really worried, just offer a monk a ride into the village. They're always hitching along the road.

Er, this won't be helping the original poster, as it's quite cryptic. And you're speaking to someone who apparently will be completely new to the place.

I think what Abracax means is law enforcement agencies there can be quite lax; but I think it would be unwise to count on them being so. You could really be looking at (possibly quite severe) trouble if they're not.

Like I said, I never gave it any thought back then, and was never aware I even might have had to; but it was precisely a different time.

What is wisdom today I just can't tell you.

(Let's put it like this: If you're not willing to sit in jail for another person, then maybe don't advise them to flout the rules.

Same could be said of many a medical advice here.)

On that note: How many of you have ever sat in jail, anyway? I never have, save for a few hours, in the comfort of my ever-so civilized home country. But have had friends who did, for months, or years. Now let's think about all those paranoid questions here about food and water, even just bathing water, not to mention whatever serious tropical diseases, that indeed may or may not be carried by such: So how exactly do you picture an Indian jail at some 35C to be? And with of course no one taking a sexual interest in you? There are good descriptions of it on this site, I'd just have to look them up, or maybe you want to do so yourselves. By people being pretty desperate about what they saw, even to in fact strangers, who they sought to but in fact couldn't very much help.

So, well. Think about it. You realize in India your case (no matter what foolishness you run into) could be months or years pending, right, so you'd just be held in custody until that ever happens? And then the trouble and baksheesh of even finding something like decent representation? (Or some mineral water or slightly better food or cigarettes or a newspaper or whatever, indeed.) Don't even go anywhere near to any of that stuff, anywhere in Asia or abroad. Opium or grass you can smoke at home, folks, I never really understand what's the great fun about doing it in a country where there's a death sentence on it, anyway. (It arguably may not be in India, but it will be severe.)

Anyways and so to bring it back to this permit question, which is as such rather less severe (but could nonetheless be rather dire): I just can't advise you on it, and had said so before.

You might just be fine and slip through yes; however if that site advises you to be careful with it, then who are we to say you shouldn't. They're certainly not advising you so to make life harder on you; but because that's what's required of them.

And so they may make it sound more formal than what is really necessary; I just can't say. Remember you don't want to put them in any trouble, either.

We had tourists coming and going there six months back without any problems. That being said, the authorities do occaisionally shut the place down on a whim every now and again. Especially when HHTDL is visiting.

Aha. Now that is the kind of on-the-ground and pinpointed-in-time advice that's handy to hear

Just wanted to say sorry Abracax if my last above was a little overly sharp; wasn't directed at you as such, you're a respected member of course, and it's always nice to have another Coorg aficionado around (who surely must have spent quite some more time there than I!)

I would be grateful for any information about whether you need a PAP (protected area permit) for DAY visits to Bylakuppe? I tried to call the Namdroling Monastery to confirm but their number does not seem to work. I would like to visit with a friend in the next few weeks, but only if we do not need permits (we are curious, but not determined enough, I am afraid, to apply for permits). Also, I wonder how difficult would it be to find accommodation nearby?

Mirjam, I've found it hard to find anything definitive on, but the consensus seems to be that day visits should be OK.

Abracax who seems to know his way there seems to say so; it has been my impression when I only drove through a few years ago; and it is what others seem to confirm.

Namdroling on their site suggests staying in Kushalnagar and do day visits (and so they do seem to confirm this should be possible); or I reckon some other towns in the area would fit the bill. (E.g., Hunsur?) Or, one could stay in either Mysore or Madikeri, and visit from there; it's a bus ride of a few hours between the two, maybe 2-3 hours or so, with Bylakuppe inbetween.

See also this more recent thread on it: protected area permit.

I had sent a mail to Hon'ble Tenzing Drakpa and had received reply on 01-January-2012. Let me quote myself from another thread protected area permit (Mach has also referenced the thread in his post):

... I had written a mail to Sera Jey Monastic University For Advanced Buddhist Studies & Practice, Bylakuppe - 571104 on Saturday 31-Dece-2011.

In response Hon'ble Tenzing Drakpa (Contact Details: Tel: +91-8223-258435, Fax: +91-8223-258781 Email: office@serajeymonastery.org, serajeymonastery@yahoo.com website: www.serajeymonastery.org) has kindly obliged me by his reply.

He says the PAP is required for foreigners whereas information to the Police Station is required for the Indians. I am copying his mail (sent to me on 01-January-2012) here:

"As the Tibetan Refugee Settlement in Bylakuppe is a restricted area regulated by the Government of India, visitors (Indian) are ... formally required to seek permission (Police) for making any visits as per government regulation. But for foreigners PAP is required.

However most of Indian visitors are not aware of the regulation and hence do not inform the authority (police) during their visit."

Hopefully this information would be a lot helpful to the intending visitors of the place.